Brand Partner Spotlight: Rebel Pine

Hello Strays!

And welcome, once again, to another installment of BonFire! Where we talk about and feature people who are living the Stray Together dream (a.k.a. dope people doing dope things, usually outside).

Today's installment is especially exciting for us because we are, for the first time, featuring one of our brand partners; that is, like-minded small business owners who have proven to be Stray Together kindred souls in their reverence for nature and quality goods and their pursuit for happiness, curating a life that works for them, a life that offers harmony instead of dissonance (important stuff, ya'll!) and encourages the pursuit for honest expression.

Enter, Rebel Pine.

Founded by two (super good looking) self-proclaimed "rebels with a cause", Shaw and Megan Gravitt's love for great tasting coffee and the beautiful outdoors ultimately brought them together to pursue their "true calling" which is "caffeinating adventurers who give a damn!" by offering conscious consumers "great tasting, honorably-produced coffee and other items that cater to an enthusiasm for adventure".

In a nutshell... great, sustainably produced coffee + other dope stuff (like these slick ass travel mugs) + beautiful places, and a genuine desire to protect those places so future generations may derive the same soul restorative qualities from their pervasive beauty = Rebel Pine. (Shaw? Megan? Am I getting this??)

...guys?

This badass (and super attractive...and cool...please be my friend!) husband and wife team aren't just yanking on the heartstrings of your typical patchouli-scented gleaning enthusiast (who HAS to tell you about that time they Woof'ed in Ecuador).

They really do give a f@!#.

And to prove their continued commitment to the preservation of the natural world they have partnered with 1% for the Planet to donate one percent of their sales (not profits) to "grassroots organizations devoted to restoring the environment".

Their tree-huggin' don't stop there neither! (my Grammerly just exploded).

For every bag of Rebel Pine coffee purchased, Megan and Shaw (so hot right now) "work with environmental nonprofits to plant a tree in deforested areas in Sub-Saharan Africa...helping to alleviate extreme poverty and restore healthy forests." Last year they donated to Trees for the Future, planting over 900 trees.

(image provided by Trees for the Future)

Okay, so a quick exercise of the imagination, just to help drive this point home.

Remember in the Dark Knight when Michael Cane was all "some people just want to watch the world burn..."?

Right. So picture Shaw and Megan and then, that isn't who Michael Cane was talking about. (Does that help? Are you getting this?)

Shmegan gets it...

Needless to say, we wanted to know more about our (super sexy) brand partners and their truly badass company so we sent Stray Together writer Matt Thiem (waddup b!) on a bread-breaking mission to find out a little more about Shaw and Megan and the magic they've been brewing up since March of last year. Matt's expert recon provided us (and thusly, you!) with a wealth of information about these two righteous individuals, but here are the juiciest bits...

Rebel Pine, Shaw and Megan Gravitt: Both of us wanted to create a lifestyle that would allow us the freedom to travel and get outdoors, while also selling a product we love that gives back to a cause we’re most passionate about.

MT: What was the biggest obstacle in starting Rebel Pine?

RP: Actually doing it....it’s easy to come up with an idea, but follow-through is not the easiest. Thankfully Megan is big on follow through. So besides that, the decision of which roasts to debut was tricky. We wanted them to feel special, unique, check the box of being both fair-trade and organic, but also have somewhat of a mass appeal since we needed to build a following as we carved out a niche. Also keeping in mind that the flavors we love may not always be the most popular among our customers (although lately it seems to be because our dark roast Foxtail sells like hotcakes, and that’s our favorite.)

MT: When did Rebel Pine become official? Either as an idea or as a company

RP: The idea initially began forming in December of 2016, shortly after moving to Asheville. We officially launched the end of March 2017.

MT: Out of the roasts you offer, which are your favorites?

RP: Currently Foxtail is our favorite, which seems to be true with our customers. Typically we both gravitate to dark roasts, brewed using an AeroPress or a pourover. We actually had the middle layer of our wedding cake made with our coffee.

MT: Favorite place you've visited?

Shaw: Berlin because of the juxtaposition of old and new.

Megan: Ireland because it’s a beautiful country and people. I’m Irish, and who doesn’t love Irish coffee?!

MT: Tell us about the name of your company, is there a story behind it? (It really rolls off the tongue.)

RP: Megan came up with the name. The idea of “rebel” was not about being a “Southern rebel,” but more about being rebellious, standing up and speaking out, being your own person, and sometimes doing the hard thing. We paired that with “pine” because we love the outdoors, specifically trees, and knew we wanted the company to have an environmental aspect to it (ref: Our Triple Bottom Line). And together we liked the image that a “rebel pine” conjured...standing tall in a forest or growing where it may be difficult.

MT: What's your favorite drink besides coffee?

RP: Craft beer (we do live in Asheville, NC known as Beer City USA) and Hendrick’s gin (helped in bringing us together).

MT: What's your favorite alternative use for coffee?

RP: We like to use the spent grounds in soil to help fertilize plants, and we also use it to help combat smells in our fridge.

Speed Round (oh snap!):

MT: What are you eating lately?

RP: Tacos and avocados (together and separate).

MT: What are you listening to lately?

We just got a Sonos speaker for Christmas, so every morning we’ve been putting on a jazz or classical playlist while we work in the office.

Our go to musicians/bands:

Local Natives (Megan is obsessed)

Lord Huron

Lumineers

(bands that start with “L”)

MT: What are you watching?

RP: Comedians In Cars Drinking Coffee and Binging With Babish

MT: What are you looking forward to most this year?

RP: Watching how the business can grow through collaborations and engagement with our audience. Shaw is also toying with the idea of publishing a novel – he writes every morning while drinking his coffee.

So there you have you it people! If it isn't obvious to you just how awesome Shaw and Megan are yet, then there is no hope for you friend.

Also, is there an easier way to feel like an eco-friendly badass then to have a tree planted (in your honor!) because you purchased a bag of primo organic Rebel Pine Coffee comfortably from your sofa? (Does anyone actually say sofa anymore?) Is there though? (Seriously though, is there?)

They do all the hard work for you. They take your precious scrilla and make sure it is contributing to a better brighter tomorrow, which is only part of why we are so proud to call Megan and Shaw our partners. So, if you can get down with Rebel Pine and their mission (and DELICIOUS artisanal coffee), check them out at rebelpine.com and show your support!

Make sure to tune-in for the next edition? (still undecided) of Bon Fire in which we put brand partner Wingback in the spotlight!